Has good size and strength to win in a short area. Shows ability to lock on and shows some pop to get position as a straight-ahead run blocker. Has decent footwork and will stay square when going against speed. Shows some ability to pull. Flashes mean streak and works hard to finish his blocks. Comfortable playing on either side of the offensive line.

CONS:

Doesn't do a great job initiating contact in pass protection. Lacks the feet to really match up with speed. Struggles when he faces speed rushers or polished pass rushers that know how to use their hands. Gives too much ground to the bull rush and needs to play with wide base. Needs to do a better job with his hand placement off the snap. Tends to play too high and will get overextended at times as a run blocker, and lose his balance. Struggles with pop when he is asked to put his hand in the dirt in the three-point stance. He almost exclusively plays out of a two-point stance, which limits how much push he can get as a run blocker. Doesn't do a good job getting to the second level quickly and struggles to adjust in space against quicker defenders. Not fluid or natural when moving in space and not great when pulling or trying to cut block.

OVERVIEW:

Reynolds started every game he played at BYU, and at times was productive. But he's athletically limited and doesn't quite have the polish you want to really excel. He played primarily left tackle, but got some reps playing right tackle at times when they inserted a left-handed QB in the lineup or when playing in an unbalanced front. Ultimately, he might be better able to hold up on the right side, or potentially moving inside to play guard at the next level. He comes from a solid football-playing family. His father, Lance Sr. was drafted by the Steelers in 1978 and is an assistant coach at BYU. His oldest brother, Lance. Jr. was briefly an undrafted free agent with the Seahawks in 2006. His other brother Dallas is a backup with the Eagles, and he has a younger brother Houston, who is a rising junior and starting guard currently for the Cougars. He spent his LDS Mission in Germany prior to going to BYU, which will make him a 26-year old rookie.

Reynolds has ability just did not match up to the better pass rushers he faced while in school. He has good size and strength, but doesn't wow you there and he's only an average run blocker. He'll have to show that can put his hand in the dirt and play with power there, something he rarely did at BYU. He's more of a finesse, position player that has toughness. He may forever be immortalized due to a play in this past year's bowl game against Tulsa where he missed a block, had his helmet knocked off, but continued working to make a big block that allowed his QB time to throw a touchdown. Those sort of plays show what kind of worker Reynolds is, but it still doesn't change the fact that he'll be overmatched by most NFL defenders. But if he applies that same sort of toughness, work ethic, and demeanor, he can stick in the NFL as a reserve, and potentially down the line make a functional starter. He is probably best served moving inside at the pro level because of his athletic limitations. But he can play on the outside, he just won't be good. That means he can potentially stick as a utility backup able to play all four positions, and because both of his older brothers are also centers, one would think that it won't be that hard for him to play there either making him a versatile backup. He's a player that can stick long-term if he can improve his hand use. He's not good enough there to overcome his limited athleticism, although he flashes ability there. More than likely, Reynolds turns into a capable backup that can be a stopgap starter if a team is in a pinch, but won't be good enough to handle the job long-term. If he does develop, there's a chance that three or so years down the road he could be a capable starter in the Harvey Dahl-mold, but probably won't be as good.

ATL FORECAST:

Reynolds will be primarily a backup in Atlanta, that if he can impress with his toughness and mean streak, could potentially land a practice squad spot. But he doesn't seem to have the sort of upside to think he makes the Falcons roster initially. But if he gets a year or two to develop, he could be a solid utility reserve. Potentially you're looking for him to serve a similar role to what Garrett Reynolds (no relation) does now as a backup guard that can also play some tackle in a pinch. But like Garrett Reynolds, Matt Reynolds probably won't be good as a starter and be exposed when he faces the better defensive talent in the league.

VALUE:

Reynolds is good enough to make an NFL roster right away and because of his potential versatility to play all five spots he is worth a draft pick. But the earliest he should go is the sixth round since it's most likely that his potential as a starter is limited.

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